Brake.



E. B. SPERRY & (J.v L. MERRITT.

BRAKE.

APPLICATION 11 211 51111.30, 1911.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

172 yeizlwaa [3025673. JPRRX all/1mm L-JVfliR/IZ .5 906 VT fin COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH $0.,WASHINUTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST B. SPERRY ANDCI-IARLESL. MEBRITT, OF TAMA, IQWA.

BRAKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST B. SPERRY and CHARLES L. MERRITT, citizens of the United States, residing in Tama, county of Tania, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a means for automatically setting a brake when a backward pull is exerted on a for-. wardly moving wagon but will be thrown; out of engagement and will not operate when a backward pull is exerted on a wagon, moving backward.

Another object is to provide such a brake, adapted to be fitted to. any wagon or vehicle, and on either the forward or rear trucks thereof, designed to be propelled by a pull-; ing power in advance of the vehicle.

Another object is to construct such a device in a simple, strong, durable and inex pensive manner, so that it may be applied as an attachment to any vehicle of the class described.

Our invention consists of certain details, of construction hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claim, and illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I shows a plan view of a wagon, fitted out with our device, the bed thereof being romoved. Figs. II and IIIshow detail views of the brake shoe we employ, illustrating the construction thereof and the manner in which it operates when the wheel is moving in reverse directions and a backward pressure is exerted in the brake, the arrows indicating the direction in which the wheel is turning; Fig. IV illustrates, in detail, the construction of levers at the forward end of the pole, by which our brake is. operated; and Fig. V shows, in detail, the adjustable feature which we employ in the construction of our brake.

We are aware that automatic brakes of a similar type have been invented and pat-' ented prior to this time, but all such have experienced difficulty in securing a reliable construction which can be depended upon not to set the brakes when the vehicle is moving backward. We accomplish this purpose by the peculiar construction of our brake shoe which, we believe, is the essential and most important feature of our invention. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference'numeral 10 is used to-indicate.

a wagon reach, and the numerals 11 and l 2,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1911.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

e iaLNQ. .1 2.

and projecting forwardly to loose connections with their respective levers 20, which are fulcrumed, by a common mounting, in the pole. To the upper ends of the levers 20 are secured flexible connections 21, which are designed to extend rearwardly and to operate by the driver from his seat.

The numerals 22 indicate levers fulcrumed, by a common mounting, in the pole and in advance of the levers 20 and the lower extremities of the levers 22 are connected, by flexible means, to the lower extremities of the levers 20. On the end of the pole is mounted a sleeve 23, on which the neck yoke is secured, and arms 24, extend from loose connections with the upper ends of the levers 22. By construction the distance from the fulcrum point of the levers 20 to the points of connection of the rods 18 and 19 to their respective levers, is greater than the distance from the fulcrum points of the levers 22 to their respective connections with the flexible means hereinbefore mentioned. Thus it is obvious that a backward pull on either the neck yoke or the connections 21 will cause the brake beam to move into closer relation to the peripheries of the rear wheels but a full backward movement of the connection 21 will move the beam farther backward than a full backward movement of the neck yoke can accomplish. Secured to each end of the brake beam 13,

and on the rear surface thereof, is a block he block 26.

The numeral 31 indicates a lever extending transversely from the brake shoe upper connection with the parallel arms to the block lower connection of the said arms, said, lever being slotted, at 32, where it is secured to the block, said connections being such as to permit the brake shoe to move upwardly from the block connections, the lever 31 moving, by means of its slotted con struction, on its lower connection. The construction of these said arms and slotted levers is such that when the brake shoe is in a horizontal alinement with the block that the upper end of the slot 32 is resting against its connection with the block, and thus prohibits any further downward movement of the brake shoe. Thus, it is obvious, the brake shoe may move .upwardly, for a limited distance, (determined by the length of the slot 32) from a horizontal alinement with the block which is its normal position, but it cannot move downwardly therefrom. Each brake shoe is provided with two of said levers 32, on opposite sides as shown, designed to operate as companions and thus provide strength and reliability in operation.

The rods 18 and 19 are each formed of two mating members provided with orifices at their engaging ends, a pin or bolt passing through the orifices and constituting the connecting means, thus providing for adjusting the rods to conform to any desired length of the reach.

By construction the parts are so arranged that a backward pull of the horses, when the wagon is moving forward, will move the brake beam a sufficient distance to cause the.

brake shoes to firmly engage the peripheries of the wheels.

will not move upward from their pivotal connections with their respective blocks but will remain in normal position, firmlyclamped to the wheels. When the wagon moves backward, however, the wheels will exert an upward pressure against the brake shoes to be :in such frictional engagement with the peripheries of the wheels as to cause the shoes to act as a brake. A still further backward movement of the brake beam may As the wheels are moving forward a downward pull or pressure, is

exerted against the shoes and therefore they forwardly to perform the same function for i which the levers 19 and 18 have been e1nployed, or entirely different constructions to move the brake beam rearwardly may be employed without altering or changing our invention the main object of which is, as has I been stated, to perfect a brake shoe mounting which, with any common means for moving the beam backward, will be accurate and reliable for setting the brake when the wagon is moving forward and a backward pressure is applied by the moving power of the vehicle, and will not set the brake when the same power is moving the vehicle rearwardly. Also a different construction may be employed which will set the brake when the vehicle is moving backward, without altering or changing our invention, as this part of the invention is to provide means which may be operated to set the shoes a brake after their position has been so changed that the moving power of the vehicle could not do so. It is obvious that this is important for it may be desired to stop a wagon on a hill to permit the horses to rest.

Our invention may be applied to wagons or any class or style of vehicles and may also, with equal success be applied to railroad cars or any heavy moving body which is mounted on wheeled trucks, providing a pulling force, in advance, is employed.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a brake a brake shoe mounted to the beam by means of arms loosely secured to both the beam and the shoe; a slotted lever loosely secured to the shoe its slotted end being secured, for movement, on the beam, said lever being so mounted that the slot therein limits the movement of the brake shoe, all arranged and combined substantially as shown and described.

ERNEST B. SPERRY. CHARLES L. MERRITT. Witnesses:

MAsoN W. SPERRY, DAVID E. GooDELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. C. 

